Sierra Nelson

Attorney

Sierra Nelson joined the Law Offices of Benjamin Arsenian in May 2017. Sierra currently works on criminal defense and personal injury cases in Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Los Angeles County. Sierra has a passion for legal writing and research and loves to work on legal motions advocating for her clients. Sierra gives back to the Orange County community by serving as a volunteer lawyer for the Elder Law and Disability Clinic and for the UCI Law Criminal Justice Clinic.

Prior to joined the Law Offices, Sierra served as a law clerk and a UCI Law Public Service Fellow in the Orange County Alternate Defender’s office where she managed post-conviction relief for the office, including preparing and filing over 100 petitions for expungement and thousands of petitions for relief under Propositions 47 and 64.

Sierra is a 2015 graduate of the University of California, Irvine School of Law. While in law school, Sierra spent three semesters with the Immigrant Rights Clinic where she worked on federal litigation and representing detained individuals at Adelanto Detention Center. She also served as a Research Assistant to current UCI Law Dean, L. Song Richardson, researching issues related to criminal justice. During law school, Sierra spent her summers at the ALCU of Northern California and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. Sierra graduated with Pro Bono Honors for completing over 120 hours of pro bono service as a law student.

Prior to law school, Sierra obtained her Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a Concentration in Legal Studies from Appalachian State University (North Carolina) in 2011.

In her free time, Sierra enjoys rooting for the Dodgers and Baltimore Ravens, practicing yoga, and gardening.